


To Have a Family is an Awfully Complicated Thing

by SnufkinsBeans



Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime 1990)
Genre: Family Fluff, Father Figures, Father-Daughter Relationship, Good Parent Joxaren | The Joxter, I guess so, Is this an AU?, Light Angst, god i love them, i call mymble's daughter 'Mumble' in this, i don't know how to tag, joxter is a good dad but a bit of silly head, no beta readers we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-03-19 21:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 13,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18978790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnufkinsBeans/pseuds/SnufkinsBeans
Summary: Mumble never really had a father figure. That was until her Mama brought home a strange mumrik who liked to nap in their pear tree.(Previously called "The Adventures of Mumble and Joxter". I don't know how to title things.)





	1. The Man Who Slept in The Pear Tree

Mumble never really had a father figure before. Sure, she has the picture of her real father that her Mama saved for her, and the fleeting company of various lovers throughout the seasons, but she didn’t pay either much attention; it wasn’t the same as the real thing. She didn’t resent her Mama for this at all though, of course; MymbleMama had lots of love in her heart, and many were drawn to her, but didn’t stay long. No matter how many times she had been left by herself though, MymbleMama always stayed strong and rarely let a frown ghost across her face. Mumble would blush to say it, but she preferred it when it was just her Mama and her siblings; she was the second eldest so she rarely had any attention on herself (though MymbleMama always tried her best to make up for it), and having another grown-up in the house often made it worse; it was always I constant stream of “Not now, Mumble”, “Look after your little sister, Mumble”, “You’re too old for that, Mumble”, always too much, too little, never enough for any of them.

So, you can imagine our Mumble’s annoyance when the man currently napping in their pear tree had been hanging about for more than two months. She had not spoken to him much, only enough to be polite because MymbleMama didn’t raise rude children, but she found him quite peculiar; often quiet and usually curled up on the sofa, his startling eyes lazily watching the little mymble children braid his hair or put bows on his tail. Not to mention the fact that he smelt quite funny. In fact, Mumble couldn’t remember the last time he went up for a bath. Despite this, he made her Mama happy, as she always laughed and smiled in his presence, her cheeks cherry red, and, Mumble noticed he smiled a lot too, his pupils rather round when he gazed at her face. 

But MymbleMama was not here now, and Mumble had put some warm bread and jam in a basket, and was hoping to have tea outside with her dolls, but simply couldn’t focus on her game if he was up in the tree snoring so loudly! She put her paws on her hips like her Mama did when she had to be stern and coughed loudly. The strange man stretched with a horribly loud yawn (Mumble swore he had pointy teeth) and reluctantly opened an eye.  
“Hullo, little Mumble.”  
“I’m not little,” She huffed up at him, frowning quite deeply to look as serious as possible. “Can you please go and sleep somewhere else? I’m going to have a tea party, but I can’t if all I can hear is your snoring.”  
His eyes crinkled as he grinned, resting his head in his paw. “A tea party you say? All by yourself?”  
Mumble paused for a second, fumbling with the hair of one of her dollies. She had tried to play tea parties with her siblings before, but they were far younger than her, and were much more interested in playing tag or blind man’s bluff. Not that she minded those games, but she quite enjoyed playing with her toys, especially if MymbleMama joined in as games were often better with another person. But MymbleMama was out, so her own company would suffice.  
“Yes, by myself,” She returned her gaze back to the mumrick, holding her head high. “It’s much more fun that way.”  
“If you say so,” The mumrick chuckled a light rumbly sound and nimbly descended from the pear tree, stretching his back again before crouching to her height. “But I do love a good tea party. Would you mind an extra guest?”  
“You? But boys don’t like tea parties. Or playing with dolls.”  
“Says who?” The mumrick wrinkled his funny nose. “That’s a silly rule, don’t you think?”  
Mumble rocked on her heels as she thought. “I guess you’re right…Alright, I suppose you can join, but I’ll have to get more food first. And an extra chair.” She stared at him thoughtfully for a few seconds before seeming to come to a decision, and carefully put her dolls in his arms.  
“I’m trusting you with them, okay?”  
Joxter grinned and held them close in one arm, using the other to place his hat over his heart. “I’m honored, milady. I’ll look after them in your brief absence.”  
Mumble giggled, grabbing her basket on the way back to the kitchen, finding herself skipping and grinning quite excitedly on the way.


	2. Marmalade and Warm Milk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's impossible for one to go to sleep on an empty stomach, don't you agree?

The sky was just starting to darken as dusk slowly crept up on it when Mumble's stomach growled ferociously. She had already put on her night dress and was going to read until bedtime, but she simply couldn't concentrate on an empty stomach! So she slipped off her bed covers and made her way downstairs to the kitchen, her paws padding lightly against the wooden floors, only to stop suddenly by the stairs, her hair peeking out through the railings as she watched the two figures in the kitchen.

The light was still on and seemed to glow softly over the two holding each other, giggling as they moved their feet rhythmically to the beat that carried throughout the house from their little old radio. Mumble gazed at their shadows on the floor as she gripped the railings thoughtfully. There was nothing unusual about them dancing together; that's simply what people did when they enjoyed another's company, and MymbleMama had danced with her previous partners too, but with Joxter it seemed a little different. Mumble watched as they laughed together when the music got faster, and stifled a giggle when the mumrik nearly lost his balance going on his tiptoes to plant a kiss on MymbleMama's lips. _'I suppose things are better when you're in love'_ Mumble's stomach growled again in protest, having had enough of all this love business when they should be thinking about getting a snack. Mumble agreed and patted her tummy lightly before hopping down the steps and into the kitchen, peeping in from the door frame.

"Mumble!" Her Mama smiled and pulled away from the dance, crouching to smooth some stray hairs from her daughter's face. "What are you still doing up?"  
"I got hungry."  
MymbleMama chuckled and pressed a kiss to her forehead before opening a few cupboards. "How about some bread and marmalade, and a nice glass of warm milk?"  
The Joxter swayed past her, still moving his body to the rhythm of the the song. "A meal fit for a little mymble princess." He grinned and winked in Mumble's direction, and she found herself smiling back.  
"I'm not little," She took a few more steps into the room, hands locked behind her as she rocked on her heels shyly. "You think I can be a princess?"  
"Why of course!" He flashed his teeth at her in a smile and beckoned her closer, taking her small paws into his. "Any creature can be anything they want if they try hard enough. Put your feet on mine,now."  
She did and giggled as he started to dance again, carrying her along on his feet and swinging their arms to the sides.  
MymbleMama smiled warmly at the scene, her heart swelling with love as the two danced together, almost feeling guilty for interrupting it as she finished warming the milk. Mumble ate the bread with relish, her tail swishing as she eagerly listened to MymbleMama and Joxter recall the adventures they had with their friends when they were younger. MymbleMama watched as she drained the last of the milk and whisked the dishes away to wash, her lips quirking as the little one yawned. "Well, I do think it's just about time for bed now."  
"Oh, but Mama-"  
"No buts," MymbleMama flicked a bit of suds onto her nose, chuckling when she wrinkled it like a little rabbit. "You've stayed up for long enough now. And no reading under the covers, okay?"  
Joxter laughed as Mumble flushed, muttering a soft "okay" before giving her Mama a kiss goodnight on the cheek. She lingered for a second before quickly running up to Joxter's leg and squeezing it in a quick hug, blurting out a goodnight and scampering up the stairs again.

The Joxter sat quite wide eyed for a few seconds before a smile broke out across his face, lowering his hat over his eyes slightly. MymbleMama grinned, taking a seat beside her lover and kissing his paw. "I think she's becoming quite attached to you!"  
Joxter squeezed the paw holding his, smiling widely as his pupils became rather round. "I suppose she is," he muttered softly. "What a sweet little mymble."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sobs* I love them so much..  
> Again, if there are any spelling mistakes or grammatical errors please let me know! I typed this on my phone so there probably are afsgsjd  
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Stormy Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mumble was NOT scared of storms, thank you very much!

Mumble was not afraid of storms. It did not bother her at all when the wind screamed in her ears and battered at her house, she was not at all fazed by growls of thunder or the sharp crackles of lightning hissing like a tame animal turned savage. And she certainly did not scream when her windows suddenly flung open through the sheer force of the gale. Alright, maybe she was a little scared.  
The young mymble trembled slightly in her bed, tail lashing all over the place. Of course she knew she wouldn't be harmed in the safety of her bed, but did it have to be so loud? She shrunk lower into her mattress, feeling about with her paw for her favourite teddy only to bolt up straight in horror. She left it downstairs! She must have forgotten it while helping her siblings get ready for bed. Miserably, she wrapped her blanket around her body like a shawl, definitely not jumping when another crack of lightning hit. She simply had to go downstairs and get it. Downstairs. Where it was dark. And cold. And with God knows what lurking in the shadows. Mumble shook her head vigorously, knocking those thoughts out of her head and onto her bedroom floor. ' _I'll just run really quickly and find it, then run back again! Monsters can't catch you if you're fast!_ '

Deciding this was an excellent plan, Mumble tightened her grip on her blanket shawl and flung her bedroom door open, running down the stairs as quickly as her little paws would go. But, oh, how her heart knocked against her chest when she made it down to the living room! It was much darker than she anticipated and she could not for the life of her find her teddy anywhere. Just when she was thinking about turning back however, she spotted a pair of startling blue eyes from across the room staring right at her, and screamed so loudly she was sure she would have woken the whole house had it not been for a clap of lightning muffling her.

Mumble was sure she was going to cry when she heard a familiar voice whisper-yell at her. "Good God, Mumble, whatever are you doing?"  
Of course! It was only the Joxter! Mumble took a deep breath and began to explain, but another crackle of lightning erupted and she flung herself right into his arms and sobbed into his chest.  
The mumrik stood frozen for a minute before he wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back in what he hoped was a soothing manner. "Er, there there. It's alright."  
"No it's not!" Mumble sniffled. "I don't know where my teddy is and hate this weather so much! I hate it!"  
The Joxter cooed and squeezed her tighter, brushing away some of her tears with his thumbs. "Now, now don't be so upset. Here, let me turn on a lamp.." He quickly lit a lamp and revived her blanket from where she had dropped it, wrapping her in it and placing her gently onto the sofa. It didn't take long for him to find her teddy- his eyes were much better suited to the dim light than hers- and he triumphantly handed it back to her, smiling as she hugged it close.  
"Do you feel better now, little Mumble?"  
"I'm not little." She muttered, and fiddled with the arm of her teddy. "Is it alright if I stay here with you?"  
Joxter grinned and scooped her up, lying down and fixing the blanket over them comfortably. "Better?"  
She nodded and nuzzled closer, finding that although he may not bathe often, the mumrik smelt quite comforting, and let her eyelids droop to a close.  
The storm kept howling on well into the night, but Mumble found that she felt rather safe in the Joxter's arms, and that the soft rumbling sound that emitted from his chest drowned the claps of lightning out nicely.


	4. A Perfect Summer's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It would have been a sin to stay inside when the weather was so lovely.

It had been a delightfully warm day and all the mymble children were playing outside. They had a splendid time playing pooh sticks and Little My had them go on adventure for some buried treasure she had caught rumor of in the woods. They hadn’t found any of course, but what a fun time they had looking! The Joxter and MymbleMama joined in on the fun as well, laughing as they searched for the mischievous children in a game of Hide and Seek. Even teatime was an absolute treat; they all sat on the grass, helping themselves to lashings of chicken, boiled eggs, warm bread and jam, buttered potatoes with sprinkles of parsley, fried fish, crisp apples, cherry scones and ginger beer! They all ate until they couldn’t stomach another bite, lazing in the sun and throwing fistfuls of grass, or looping daisies together in chains.

When the sun finally started to set, the family found none of them wanted to go inside quite so soon, so Joxter suggested they light a fire and tell each other stories, accompanied by marshmallows and hot chocolate. There never was a cozier scene! The children delighted in the stories Joxter told them, of flying ships and dragons and ghosts! They all listened in awe, with stars in their eyes and sugar in their mouths.  
Little My laughed, slurping her cocoa loudly. “Pah! Ghosts aren’t that scary! They’re all bunch of scardey-cats!”  
“You got me there,” The Joxter chuckled. “But I haven’t told you the scariest story yet.” His face suddenly looked quite grave, his hat casting a deep shadow across his face, leaving only piercing eyes visible, glowing in the light of the fire “One night while we were on land, I awoke to strange sounds coming from outside.” A wave of silence washed over the children as they leaned in expectedly, shivering at the serious tone in which he spoke. “At first, I thought the sounds might have been forest creatures, but this was different. I went outside by myself, not wanting to worry the others, and the whole forest was covered in thick fog, and the air around me seemed to freeze.” The children huddled together as if feeling the cold too, and even Mumble felt a shiver down her spine. “The sound was louder now, closer. A deep groaning sound, a sound of heavy lamenting that’s lasted for centuries and scraping of something heavy across the floor. Then, a saw a silhouette in the fog, a large mass coming straight towards me.”  
The children gasped, even Little My had wide eyes. “What did you do?” She asked, anticipatingly.  
“Well, I didn’t know what I was up against,” Joxter said in a low voice. “But I knew I couldn’t let that thing come any closer to where my friends were sleeping. So, I marched right on towards it, stopping a few meters before it to look dead into it’s hellish yellow eyes. ‘What do you want?’ I asked it. Oh, how the creature roared! ‘I want to eat your heart!’ It said, and ice erupted from all around it.!”  
One of the mymble children bolted upright in his seat. “What happened next?” He exclaimed.  
“Well,” The Joxter stretched his legs, flexing the clawed toes as he yawned. “I’ll tell you another time. I’m rather tired now.”

The children groaned in protest, begging him to finish his story, tails lashing about excitedly. MymbleMama chuckled and started to herd them inside. “You heard him. We’ve stayed out for quite a long time now. It’s time for bed.”  
“Yes, yes,” The Joxter grinned, baring his pointy fangs. “We wouldn’t want the Groke to find you now, would we?” The children rushed themselves inside, still buzzing slightly imagining how the story might end. Joxter slowed down to walk next to Mumble, eye glinting mischievously. “I hope I didn’t scare you too badly, little Mumble.”  
The girl looked up at him and huffed, holding her chin high. “Of course not! Campfire stories don’t scare me anymore!”  
The Joxter stopped dead in his tracks. “Oh, but they should.”  
Mumble came to halt, turning back to him slowly. “W-why?”  
Joxter’s eyes gleamed, his tail swishing from side to side. “Because you are the perfect size for a Groke to EAT!”  
In one swift motion he scooped her up in his arms, tickling her sides and blowing raspberries into her neck, causing the little mymble to squeal and kick her legs about, laughing rather loudly indeed.  
“Put me down!” She shrieked between giggles. “Papa, you’ll drop me!”  
And he nearly did out of pure shock. He put her down carefully, eyes wide. “What did you just say?”  
Poor little Mumble flushed all the way from her neck to the tips of her ears! She was rather embarrassed. “Nothing-sorry-I didn’t mean to-I-I won’t do it again.”  
Joxter shook his head quickly, a goofy smile on his face. “No! No, it’s fine! You can call me...Papa if you want.”  
Mumble’s eyes widened a fraction before giggling shyly, her cheeks still flushed pink. “Papa!” She kissed him on his nose before flinging her arms around his neck, laughing when he wrapped her up in his arms and spun her around.  
It really was a perfect day. Mumble would have stayed there forever if she could.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Joxter talking to Mymble before bed: Mymble, I'm gonna fucking cry.


	5. Promises Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new member of the family has arrived.

It was always a rather excitable time when a baby was due in the Mymble house. The children put in extra effort to help MymbleMama around the house, excitedly asking when the baby would come, pressing their ears to her tummy. The Joxter was rather skittish too, doting on MymbleMama often and insisting on her resting as much as possible.  
"For goodness sakes, Joxter!" She would exclaim, a loving smile on her face. "I'm not made of glass, you know!"  
"Yes yes, I know, dear," He would always respond. "I just want to make sure you're comfortable."  
Mumble was rather excited too. Even though it was often noisy living with so many siblings, and they got on her nerves quite a bit, she still loved them all unconditionally; she loved playing tag with them, playing dress up, exploring the nooks and and crannies of the house, helping a little one get the buttons on their garments, hugging them and giving them lots of kisses..Yes, Mumble loved her family very much indeed. 

So why was it now then, she felt so reluctant to enter the room where her mother lay, cradling the little baby she'd given birth to a few hours ago? Why was it, when her other brothers and sisters rushed in to greet the newest member of the family, that her feet seemed to root themselves in the wooden floorboards? At every birth of a new Mymble child, Mumble had always been the first one out of her siblings to hold the new baby, to give it a kiss on its forehead and tell them she'd be the best big sister ever, so why oh why, did her stomach twist at the idea of going near the thing?  
"Come on, Mumble." Her mother beamed at her from her bed. "Don't you want to meet your new baby brother?"  
Mumble nodded slowly and pried herself away from the doorframe, her feet seeming to walk sluggishly, as if they were being pushed against. The Joxter was in bed next to MymbleMama, delicately cradling the little boy in his arms, eyes soft and pupils round, as if the little creature had told him he hung the moon in the sky.  
Mumble's heart caught in her throat when she peered at the baby's little face. It was indeed a lovely mix of the two parents; a mymble tail, mumrik ears, mymble hair, a mumrik nose. He was rather cute indeed, but Mumble found that it hurt her eyes to look at him, and wanted him to be covered.  
"Would like to hold him, little Mumble?" She snapped her head up to look at Joxter, his pupils rounder than she'd ever seen them before. She looked between him and the baby, to him then the baby again before sticking her tounge out at the little thing(making a rather rude sound indeed) and rushing out of the room, ignoring the shocked sounds from MymbleMama and the others. 

She ran through the house, out the backdoor, through the garden and into the woods, not stopping until she reached the little clearing with a stream that the Joxter had shown her once, fell onto her knees and cried and cried until she was sure she had no tears left in her little body at all. 

She wasn't sure how long she'd been there when the Joxter sat down by her, taking his hat off and placing it on the ground.  
He ran a hand over his face, scratching the whiskers on his chin; Joxter was not always good with words, and oftentimes to avoid saying the wrong thing, he wouldn't say anything at all, but it hurt is heart to see his little Mumble so upset, so for her, he would talk, no matter how much it scared him.  
"Do you..do you want to talk about what happened there, little Mumble?"  
She frowned and pulled her knees up to her chest. "I don't know why you came," She muttered bitterly. "Shouldn't you be back home? With your baby?"  
Joxter furrowed his brows. "I wanted to check up on you."  
"Why?" Mumble snapped, eyes puffy. "Why did you? Why do you act so nice if you're gonna forget about me anyways?" She sniffed and punched him in the arm. Then again, and again, battering him with her tiny fists.  
"Hey now-"  
"Why? Why? Why? Why? You're not my real papa." She sobbed, ignoring the sting in her chest when she said that. "There's nothing tying you here, why don't you just fawn over your little baby and forget about me? Just like the rest of them did!"  
Joxter held her arms still with his hands, frowning deeply. "You stop that now," He said rather sternly. "Why would you say such a thing?"  
Mumble sniffed loudly, her face flushed from crying. "Because that's what always happens! Everytime I think that things will be okay, that someone else cares about ME for once, they always, always leave with their own damn kid!"  
Joxter's heart ached as she cried again, pulling her into his arms and hugging her tightly. "Shh, it's okay, it's okay," He said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "It's okay to be upset, let it all out."  
Once she calmed down a bit, he pulled her away to look at her, wiping her cheeks with his sleeve. "Mumble, I'm not going to forget about you because of the baby." He smiled and put his paws on her shoulders so she'd look him in the eyes. "I love everyone here. I love you, Mumble. When you called me 'papa', it was one of the happiest days of my life!" He grinned, sheepishly. "I'd never really looked after children before, and I was sacred I'd mess it all up, but Mumble you are a daughter to me, regardless of who you're related to. And I promise, I will, never, ever, forget about you, and I will never, ever leave you alone. Oh! Don't cry again!"  
Mumble sobbed loudly and buried herself in his arms again, yelling that she was so sorry she ran away, kissing his face and calling him her "dear, dear Papa!" 

They walked back to the house, Joxter carrying Mumble on his shoulders. MymbleMama was relieved to see them back, hushing Mumble when she tried to apologise. "It's okay now, dear." She smiled warmly, smoothing some hair out her daughter's face. "I didn't let anyone else hold him while you were gone. Are you ready to meet little Snufkin now?"  
Mumble nodded eagerly, giggling when her siblings swarmed around her to get another glimpse of his little face. She held her new little brother in her arms carefully, quickly looking up at the Joxter, who winked at her with a grin. She smiled back then pressed a kiss onto Snufkin's forehead, giggling when his tiny face scrunched up.  
"Hullo Snufkin, I'm Mumble." She said, beaming down at him. "You don't know this yet, but I love you so, so much, and I'm gonna be the best older sister ever! Better than Little My, at least."  
"Hey!" Little My exclaimed indignant, scrambling to go see him. "You've held him long enough, it's my turn now!"  
And so all the Mymble children finally got to fawn over their new little brother, and when MymbleMama shooed them out of the room so she could nurse in peace, they decided to have a nap. Joxter lay on the sofa, hat on his face, and they clambered onto him, Mumble snug in his arms, smiling contently as his purrs lulled her into sleep.


	6. Blue Dresses, Pink Bows, Pink Clouds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mumble found that Snufkin was small and cute, just like a little doll.

It was tipping down with rain and with water battered the roof of the Mymble house like horse's hooves. Mumble found it rather relaxing, especially when she was reading like she was now, chin in her hands as she lay in her bed. She sighed deeply and closes the book with a soft thud, turning her head to the little companion laying next to her.  
"Aren't knights in shining armor so dreamy, Snufkin?"  
Snufkin babbled something incoherent before shoving his fist in his mouth.  
"I suppose you're right," Mumble laughed and picked him up, swaying around her room as he gurgled happily. She found it rather interesting when her siblings were at this age, when their personalities were starting to form. Little Snufkin was quite different from the other children; Mumble found that while he did like to be played with and tickled like every other child, he'd often try and wander off after a bit, crying when the room got too loud. Joxter said it was the mumrik in him.  
Just then Snufkin made another sound, gurgling as he tried to grab his own tail.  
"Oh, you are just the cutest!" Mumble laughed, placing him back down on her bed and tickling his tummy. "Like a little doll!" Mumble gasped then and started rummaging through her drawers, pulling out her favourite dresses that got too small but she didn't want to hand down quite yet. Giggling she pulled a dress over his head, a rather nice shade of baby blue, with a pink bow and white lace cuffs.  
Then apon remembering her mother got her another one of the same make, Mumble squealed and quickly found it, pulling it on in haste, smiling widely as she put a pink bow in her hair.  
"Now we match, Snufs! Don't we look lovely?" She giggled and twirled him about in her arms, her dress billowing around her legs. "We simply have to show Papa."  
Pressing a kiss to Snufkin's cheek with an exaggerated 'mwah!', she hopped down the stairs, counting each one as she did.

"Now where could he be.." She thought aloud. He wasn't in the living room, where Mama was knitting, and he wasn't in the kitchen where Little My was making a mess, and he wasn't in the bedrooms either.  
Finally she found Joxter lazing in a chair on the porch, smoking his pipe.  
"Papa, look!"  
"My, my, my!" The Joxter grinned as Mumble did a little twirl. "Don't you two look lovely."  
"We match, see?"  
"I see," He chuckled when Snufkin reached out his paws to be held, taking him out of Mumble's arms. "You know, those clothes remind me of a little village I came across once."  
"Really?" Mumble climbed onto his lap, smiling when he pressed a kiss onto her forehead.  
"Yes. It was a quaint little town, just off the coast, and every creature in it wore blue garments and pointy shoes…" 

Joxter rocked on his chair, staring at the two who had fell asleep in his lap. He pet little Snufkin's head, smiling when a tiny purr started up from the boys throat, then he pushed a few stray hairs out of little Mumble's face, chuckling when her nose twitched slightly. He smiled and cast his gaze out past the garden, through the forest and over the fields beyond. When he finally succumbed to sleep, his dreams where full flying ships, rolling hills, floating high into the sky on pink clouds, while little hands tried to pull him down again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's just something short and sweet :)
> 
> By the way, thank you all for the lovely comments! It really means a lot to me and I'm glad you're enjoying the story.


	7. Father's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mumble had never celebrated Father's Day before.

“No, no, no, this won’t do at all.” Mumble scrunched up the paper and threw it across her room, huffing in exasperation. You see, it was Father’s Day in two days and Mumble wanted to do something extra nice for the Joxter. She had thought about baking him cookies, but everyone was going to do that anyway. Then she thought about making him a new hat, but she wasn’t very good at sewing. She thought about drawing something, but just found out that she wasn’t as good as drawing as she thought. It needed to be something special, that he’d want to keep forever; Mumble had never celebrated Father’s Day before, so this one had to be perfect. She sat with her arms crossed for a while, frowning in concentration until an idea struck; she’d write him a poem! Of course, it’d be perfect present! Original, and from the heart!  
Clapping her hands together excitedly she quickly rushed into the grown-up’s room, where MymbleMama kept her nice paper and fountain pens, and took them to her room, giggling all the way. She titled it ‘My Papa’, (a very good title in her opinion) and sat down cross-legged, scribbling down every thought that came to her head, ripping a page out and starting anew until it was perfect. Apparently, she had been there for quite some time, because by time she’d finished it was dinner time.

She ate rather quickly with a smile on her face, then twirled about the house, humming contently to herself, nearly bumping into the Joxter himself.  
“Woah there, little Mumble,” He laughed, steadying her. “You seem awfully chipper.” Mumble nodded with a hearty ‘uh-huh’, reaching up with grabby paws so he picked her up, and hugged him round the neck. He chuckled in response, giving her a big kiss on the cheek which made her squeal. “Now, you haven’t seen my hat, have you?” He asked, putting her back down. “I can’t seem to find it anywhere.” Mumble shook her head.  
“Snufkin probably has it.” She smiled and took his paw in hers, skipping slightly as she walked him outside, for the boy was rarely indoors nowadays. Sure enough, after a little searching, the found the red hat between some bushes, and under it, Little Snufkin, who made a sweet sleepy chirping noise when they woke him. Joxter laughed as he placed the hat back on his head, holding Mymble’s paw with one of his and holding Snufkin with the other.  
“He really likes this old thing, huh?” He said, as the boy still tried to pull his hat off with his tiny paws.  
“It’s probably because it’s yours,” Mumble said, smiling. “My favourite bow- this one-used to be Mama’s, but I kept taking it until she eventually gave it to me.” Joxter smiled warmly, ruffling her hair with his paw.   
“Well, it does suit you rather well, but I can’t part with this old hat of mine.” He straightened the brim, looking ahead thoughtfully. “I shall make him one of his own.”   
“Oh, make it green!” Mumble said, beaming at Snufkin, who babbled at her. “It’s his favourite colour, I’m sure of it.”  
Sure enough, the next day Snufkin had his very own hat, very similar to Joxter’s, and a lovely shade of green, indeed! It was rather large, but Snufkin loved it very much, and would grow into it nicely. Later, Joxter had nearly fell asleep on the sofa when Mumble yelled “Look! The hat’s moving!” Sure enough, it was shuffling along the floor seemingly by itself, causing Joxter laugh heartily, lowering his body fully onto the couch and pouncing gently near it, scooping Snufkin from under it and kissing him all over his little face. He grinned and opened an arm out to Mumble, chuckling when she rushed into him, hugging them both to his chest. He peppered her face with kisses too, laughing when she let out an indignant sound, squeezing her and Snufkin tighter. “My little children.” He had said, softly. But Mumble never noticed the tremble in his voice then.

The night before Father’s Day Mumble could not sit still at all. Even when she was in bed, she had her lamp handy reading and rereading her poem nervously;  
_“My Papa is quite peculiar, for he doesn’t look like me._  
_He has dark hair, you see, and rather pointy teeth!_  
_His ears are not like mine, for mine are small and round,_  
_His tail is bushy too, and he can make a funny sound._  
_Some people think he is all edges, because of his teeth and claws,_  
_But if they were to look closer, they’d see that’s not the truth at all!_  
_My Papa is soft and cuddly, he naps in trees up high,_  
_He gives the very bestest hugs, and his eyes look like the sky._  
_So though he does not look like me, for we have very different parts,_  
_I find it doesn’t bother me,_  
_For I love him with all of my heart!”_  
It was too late to change it now, but Mumble still felt quite worried. She should have made it longer, maybe have less rhyme. Was ‘bestest’ even a word? It didn’t look right… Sighing, she put away before she could do anything else, rolling the paper and tying it with a red bow, because Joxter was quite fond of the colour. It was either very late at night or very early in the morning, but Mumble couldn’t sleep at all.  
Deciding that she would like to see her Papa, she quietly padded out of her room, creeping over to MymbleMama’s room and peeping in through the door. He wasn’t there, but that wasn’t unusual for Joxter liked to sleep in different places sometimes, so she checked the attic, and the living room, and the porch, and even the pear tree in the garden, then checked them all again when she couldn’t find him. She started to fret now, triple checking the house again before stopping on her way back to the pear tree. In the distance, over the hills, there was a solitary figure in a red hat getting further away with each second. Mumble shook her head in disbelief and started to run forward, calling after him until her voice was hoarse, ignoring the rain that fell on her face, not stopping until the figure disappeared, staring at the space he once occupied as her heart ripped itself apart.

Her mother was bustling out of the porch in her dressing gown when she got back, looking quite relieved when she saw her. “Oh, thank heavens, Mumble, I thought you disappeared! I was just about to ask your Papa to go look for you.” At this Mumble feel to her knees and screamed, throat raw, damning the whole world, damning the man in the red hat that broke his promise, damning the sky for raining so much.

It was only when she finally looked up while being cradled in her Mama’s arms that she saw there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now just a sprinkle of angst-*knocks the whole bottle over* OOPS


	8. Little Birds on Antlers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joxter braces against the chilly autumn air and meets a peculiar old lady.

The wind nipped at the Joxter's ears as he kept travelling north, not knowing at all where he was going but trudging on anyway. The weather seemed to be working against him, screaming in his ears at every second, piercing right through his coat. His coat that Mymble got him. His heart ached at that thought. Even after all this time, he still thought about her all the time. God, how long had it been? More than four months he was sure, but definitely not longer than a year. 'Poor Mymble', he thought miserably. Sweet, sweet Mymble. She deserved better than a coward like him.  
"Stupid, stupid,stupid.." He muttered to himself, along with some swears that would have made little Snufkin hiss at him. He chucked wryly at that, heart falling heavy again. What kind of man left his little boy behind without a father figure? The same of man that made promises to a little girl that he couldn't keep.  
Joxter cursed again, blinking away the tears in his eyes, muttering angrily at himself as he trudged through the thick autumn leaves, nearly bumping into somebody.  
"Sorry, ma'am."  
"Oh, it's okay!" A little old lady beamed up at him, pulling her purple shaw tighter around her shoulders. "It's getting rather chilly, isn't it?"  
"Indeed." Joxter watched as little birds fluttered and nestled on the antlers on her head, pulling leaves out of the springy silver curls. He resisted the urge to swipe at them and fixed his gaze back onto hers. "I didn't think I'd see anyone here for quite a bit."  
The old lady smiled at him, eyes twinkling. "Oh, I live nearby. I was just popping out to get some firewood, actually, would you mind helping an old lady out?"  
"Of course." Said the Joxter. That's all he was good for now. 

The little old woman,(who Joxter found was called Auttaja) invited Joxter back to her cottage to rest and made him a nice soup to thank him for his help. Feeling slightly more at ease now he had a warmer place to sleep, Joxter sat on the porch, puffing on his pipe as he brooded.  
"You seem to have a heavy summons on your chest, sonny." He looked up as Auttaja sat next to him, lighting her own pipe and blowing rings. "Left something important behind, huh?"  
"Yeah.." Joxter stared at her. "How'd you know?"  
"I have a knack for knowing things. What did you leave behind?"  
Joxter stared ahead of him for a second. He didn't particularly care for telling strangers his business, but found that he wanted to be rid of the aching feeling in his chest and was willing to share the load. "My family," His voice was soft, for he knew if he spoke any louder it was sure to tremble. "I love them, of course I do, but, I don't know, I just got scared." He ran his paw over his face, trying to find the right words. "I liked being there, and- and I loved the little kids as well, and- hell, I even thought of asking my darlin' to marry me."  
"Marriage?"  
Joxter nodded, chewing on the end of his pipe."Yeah...but then, it started to feel…i don't know…stifling? No, not that." He groaned in exasperation and stood up, pacing around in front of Auttaja. "It's just, that's a huge commitment and I don't know if I'm the kind of guy who can make a promise like that."  
"You're not great at keeping promises, are you?"  
Joxter groaned again, sitting back down. "No, I'm not. I'm just a coward that runs away from things." He puffed on the pipe again. "It just felt like, I was trapping myself into something before my life had even began. I'm twenty-four for God's sake! A-and it's not in a mumrik's nature to stay somewhere for so long."  
Auttaja stared at him with her amber gaze. Joxter felt rather peculiar under it, like he was being analysed intensely.  
"You're right," She finally said, tickling one of the birds on her antlers with her paw. "Mumriks can't be tied down easily, can they?"  
Joxter nodded slowly, surprised she was agreeing with him. "No, they can't."  
Auttaja let out another puff of smoke before standing slowly, the whole forest around them seeming to still to listen to her.  
"Well, if you're able to leave such a lovely thing behind, then good for you. One can't ignore their nature now, can they?"  
With that she left Joxter outside in nippy air, the swaying trees whispering in his ears.

For once in his life, the Joxter found that he couldn't sleep. His mind was running array with thoughts of Mymble's warm embrace, of Snufkin's little paws in his, of Mumble running up to him for a hug.  
'Not tied down to anything,' he admonished bitterly. 'Hypocrite I am!'  
Joxter thought long and hard as he watched the night sky through the window next to the bed. He thought about how he'd only had himself for company for as long as he could remember, how he travelled to far away lands with nothing back the clothes on his back, how he had the whole world out there waiting for him. Then he thought about a kind man and his flying ship, of a nervous creature that wore a tin hat, of an adventurous storyteller that was soft like a marshmallow, of the woman he danced with under the stars, of the sound of little feet following his.  
Joxter threw the covers off and grabbed his hat, pulling his coat back on as he rushed through the rooms in the house, stopping when he saw Auttaja sipping tea in the kitchen.  
"Off so soon?"  
"Yes. I can't just walk away Auttaja, I just can't. I know that I've probably messed everything up, and if I'm greeted with a door in the face then so be it, but I- I just gotta-" Joxter took his hat off again, playing with the material. "I gotta fight for them."  
The wise old lady smiled, finishing her cup. "Took ya long enough."  
Auttaja prepared a backpack with some blankets, food and a flask of tea and sent him on his way, the forest around him seeming to whisper 'good luck!' as he rushed back the way he came. 

But when he came to the little clearing where mymble house stood, there was nobody there. No children running about, no toys strewn across the floors, no paint splatters on the wall, nothing. Joxter checked the whole house and then checked it again, stopping his fretful search at little Mumble's room, devoid of all her things. Then out of the corner of his eye he spotted a rolled piece of paper wrapped in a red ribbon, peeking out from under the bed frame.

Joxter read it and wept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter done!  
> Again, thank you all so much for the commetns, it really means a lot!  
> Just a heads up though, there might not be updates this week or the next as I have the rest of my exams to finish. But once they're over I'll complete the story! Thanks again!<3


	9. The Blue House in the Valley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mymble family pays a visit to old friends.

The long, dusty trail seemed to stretch on forever into the distance, winding so far around the hills Mumble was sure they'd be walking forever. MymbleMama said they didn't have far left, so she ignored her achy feet for the time being, staring into the basket in her arms where her little brother slept, cosied up in a ball on his green hat. The little mumrik was quite adventurous nowadays; he had very nearly mastered the art of toddling, and would often try to wander away from the others, fascinated by ants trailing along the ground or flowers he found pretty. Mumble found it was rather hard work keeping him in her arms, as he would squirm about and try to break free. (They ended up having to stop quite a bit, so they could rest and let Snufkin wander.)  
As if he knew she was thinking about him, the little boy yawned and stared up at her with his big brown eyes.  
"Morning, Snuffs." Mumble smiled at him, giggling when he reached with a tiny paw to touch her face. He shifted in the hat, looking about and kneading at Mumble's jumper.  
"Papa?"  
Mumble's heart clenched. This wasn't the first time he asked after his father, but that didn't make it any easier.  
She tried her best to keep the bitterness out of her voice. "You just missed him, Snuffs. He just went out for a walk." At the falling of Snufkin's face she quickly added. "Don't worry! He'll be back!" She hugged him tightly, rubbing his back as he sniffled, unsure if she was trying to comfort him or herself. "He'll come back." 

The children sighed with relief when they finally saw a handsome blue house in the distance, running and tripping over themselves to get there first. The Moomins were rather shocked at the unannounced visit, but graciously invited them in for tea, hugging MymbleMama tightly, excited to catch up. They even had their own little child now, Moomintroll, who Snufkin was rather fascinated by, toddling about after the little troll and petting his snowy fur.  
Moominpapa had laughed heartily at this, tickling the mymble children that clambered onto his lap. "Why, he looks just like old Joxter!" He exclaimed warmly. "Where is the old cat, anyways?"  
MymbleMama's smile faltered ever so slightly at that, and even the rambunctious little children paused for a split second before continuing with their games, though a tad less enthusiastically.  
"That's actually what I came here to talk to you about." She said softly. "May we speak alone?"  
Moominpapa and Moominmama exchanged worried glances but nodded, telling the children to behave sensibly before heading upstairs.  
One of the mymble children started to sob then, clutching onto Mumble's skirt.  
"Joxterpapa isn't going to come back, is he?"  
Others started to tear up too, wiping their noses on their sleeves.  
"Of course he won't," said a little mymble boy sullenly. "They never do."  
Mumble fretted over them, feeling quite annoyed at Little My for wandering off outside as she was normally better at controlling the little ones. Mumble scooped a few up and sat down on the springy sofa, the rest of the children(and an extremely confused little Moomintroll) climbing up and snuggling into her side.  
"I'm sure Pa- I'm sure Joxter is just lost, that's all." Said Mumble, choking down her own tears. She had already cried countless times over the mumrik and was getting rather tired of it. "Besides, we'll be alright by ourselves. We always have been, haven't we?"  
The mymble children agreed, forlorn, one of the little boys in Mumble's arms hiding his face in her jumper.  
"That doesn't mean we don't miss 'im, though."  
Mumble nodded and started to reminisce out loud about fun times they had as siblings, some of the children piping up to add another detail, or remember another story. 

They fell asleep like that, feeling rather bittersweet, but content with the knowledge that they would always have each other, no matter what. The journey had exhausted them, physically and emotionally, and so they slept heavily. None of them noticing when little Snufkin wandered out the front door to escape the noise, trailing his basket behind him. While they slept on peacefully,he spotted rather pretty flowers growing on the opposite side of the river bank, and, thinking they would look splendid in Moomintroll's fur, reached over precariously over the river ledge.

Somewhere, far in the north, Joxter asked about in a nervous frenzy the whereabouts of a large mymble family, searching in every town he stumbled upon.  
In moominhouse, MymbleMama was consoled by her old friends, tears pouring down her pretty face while the children slept on the sofa downstairs, arms protectively around each other.

All the while little Snufkin floated away in his basket, clutching his green hat tightly to his chest, getting further away with every minute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this edition of "Things Keep Getting Worse", the Mumble's lose yet another family member!


	10. Dandelion Wishes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mumble was rather fed up with all the crying she'd been doing.

“By the great flippin’ Booble, whatever am I going to do?”  
“Mymble dear, calm down-”  
“Calm down? How can I calm down, MoominMama? I LOST MY SON!” Mumble flinched as she peered through the crack in the door, her brothers and sisters nervously eavesdropping from behind her. MymbleMama’s face was worn down with grief and tears, her whole body seeming to curl into itself as she paced around the room. She finally collapsed onto one of the chairs and rested her weary head in her paws; Mumble had never seen her so beaten before. “I’m so sorry for yelling, MoominMama,” She sighed as she rubbed her temples. “I don’t know what to do with myself.” MoominMama tutted sympathetically, passing a cup of hot tea to her friend while her husband wrapped a blanket around the weeping mymble’s shoulders.  
“It’s alright, love, it’s alright. He couldn’t have gone far.” MymbleMama sniffled.  
“I can’t believe I let this happen. Some mother I am.” Just before either of the trolls could object, Mumble rushed into the room, barreling herself into her mother’s arms in heaving sobs while MymbleMama desperately tried not to spill tea everywhere.  
“Mama, please don’t say such things!” Mumble cried, tugging on the front of her mother’s dress. “It’s not your fault, Mama, you didn’t do anything! It’s my fault, I should’ve been watching him!” At that, the other children barged into the room and also proceeded to fling themselves onto Mymble, spouting similar claims about how it was them who should be held responsible, really.  
MymbleMama hugged them all tightly, shaking her head lovingly. “No, no, dears, please don’t cry, it’s not your faults at all.”  
“It’s nobody’s fault.” Said MoominPapa suddenly, catching their attention. “Sitting here playing the blame game isn’t going to change anything. Dry your tears now…” He patted one of the children on the head and adjusted his hat. “We’ll search for the young lad together.”  
“We can ask the Inspector for help,” Suggested MoominMama, rocking two mymble children in her arms. “Maybe put up posters?”  
“Excellent idea, my love.” He squeezed MymbleMama’s shoulder and gave her a comforting smile. “We’ll bring him home, Mymble. I promise.” She smiled back tightly in response, watching as Mumble pulled away from her arms, muttering about needing fresh air.

‘ _I’m so tired crying_ ,’ thought Mumble, feeling the dampness of her tears stick to her cheeks as the breeze blew over her face. She thought of Snufkin, all on his own in a basket, confused as to where he was. He must be so scared! To her surprise she found herself thinking of the Joxter, wondering where he was now, if he was happier without her. ‘Please, please, please’ She plucked a dandelion from the grass and squeezed her eyes shut as she thought as hard as she could. _‘I’m not mad anymore,  just please come back.’_ Her body trembled slightly as she blew the fluffy seeds away. _‘I want my Papa back. I want my brother back. Please, please, please…’_

 

At that very moment, the Joxter had perched himself on an incredibly tall tree, surveying the land around him. His search had not been going well so far; he had even swallowed his pride and asked the police for assistance and very nearly got arrested again. Still, the mumrik continued on his own, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to rest until he found them again. Joxter may be lazy, yes, but once he did put his mind to something, nothing could stop him from doing it. Even if he searched the entire country a million times and was met with a door in his face, he would still be content in knowing that he didn’t stop looking.

His eye was caught then by something floating downstream; if there was one thing that Joxter despised, it was littering. Muttering to himself he climbed down the tree with ease, marching towards the river when his breath suddenly caught in his throat. It was a basket. And inside that basket, a very familiar looking hat. Joxter shook his head in disbelief before sprinting to catch up with it, grabbing the handle just in time before it got swept away in the current. He sat abruptly on the ground, staring dumbfounded at the basket in his lap before reaching with a shaky paw to lift the brim of the hat, a sob escaping his throat when he saw a pair of honey- brown eyes staring back into his.

Snufkin leaped into his arms, nuzzling his head into Joxter’s chest as the mumrik held him tightly, tears running down his face. “Oh, my son!” he cried, frantically looking him over, as if unsure if he was imagining things. “Oh, my son!” He sobbed again, kissing his cheeks and hugging him tightly. How he had grown since he last so him! He was even saying a few words now, making Joxter’s heart ache at the thought of missing this all.  
“Papa,” His heart clenched again as Snufkin pawed at his shirt.“I’m hungry.”  
“Of course!” Joxter stumbled back onto his legs, holding his son preciously as he sniffed the air. Deciding that Snufkin would probably not like freshly hunted birds, Joxter set off for an inn he knew was around these parts somewhere, listening delightfully as Snufkin babbled on about nothing and everything.  
“I want pancakes.” He said, fiddling with the brim of father’s hat. “Like MoomeeMama makes.”   
Joxter nearly tripped then, quickly holding Snufkin up so he looked him in the eyes. “Moomee? You mean the Moomins?”  
Snufkin nodded. “Mama took us there.”  
Joxter wanted to leap and howl for joy. The Moomins. Of course! Why hadn’t he thought to see them sooner? He spun Snufkin around and pressed a kiss to his cheek.  
“You remarkable boy!” He cried, hurrying along much faster now, the determination in his heart burning brighter than ever. He’ll get them all back together, if not for him, then for Snufkin. He had to right his wrongs, he had to see Mymble again, he had to see his little Mumble again.    
_‘I’ll bring us home,’_ He thought. _‘If it’s the last thing I do.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Another chapter up! Sorry this one is kind of short, I'll be trying to update more regularly now.


	11. Pondering and Harmonica Music

Moominhouse had been rather full for quite a while now; the Moomins had insisted on the Mymbles staying for as long as they wanted, helping them in any way they could with the search for Snufkin. MymbleMama was constantly thanking them for their kindness, and even the children were less rambunctious than usual as to cause less stress for the trolls. Though everyone tried to keep in high spirits, there was always a relatively unspoken sense of fear and grief that lingered around like a bad smell, slipping into their minds no matter how many times they opened the windows. The children would still go outside and play as they always would, enjoying the natural beauty of the valley around them as they ran about. Today though, Mumble didn’t particularly feel like playing, instead opting for weaving flowers together in a crown, blades of grass tickling her knees as if they were hugging her in their own way. With a now finished flower crown in her lap, Mumble leaned back on her paws and watched the clouds idly, pondering on this and that. She’d been doing a lot of that recently. Thinking. About her missing brother and father, wondering if she’ll ever see either of them again, if her family could ever truly return to their normal state, if she harbored resentment for her adoptive father.

After a few minutes of philosophizing and coming up blank, Mumble picked up her crown and got to her feet, padding inside to find her mother, who was sat on the porch drinking tea by herself. (MoominMama and MoominPapa were currently watching the children) Mumble climbed onto her lap and delicately placed the crown on her mother’s head, receiving a sweet smile in response.   
“Why thank you, Mumble,” her mama squeezed her gently in a hug. “You’ve gotten quite good at making these.”   
Mumble smiled back and fidgeted a bit, clenching her skirt in fists. “Mama, can I ask you something?”  
“Of course, dear.”   
“Do you hate Papa for leaving?”  
MymbleMama paused and gazed out over the fields, her eyes distant. “Yes and no…it’s complicated.” She spoke slowly, turning her gaze back to Mumble’s. “Our Joxter is a very free-spirited man; he would always tell me of his wandering past, how he had the whole world at his feet… He loved his freedom, and if there was anything that he hated it was being tied down, feeling trapped.” Her brows furrowed then, her eyes flashing with emotions Mumble couldn’t quite place. “I just keep wracking my brain, trying to remember if he ever seemed felt like that with us, if I was ever overbearing. I thought he was happy.” She sighs then, a sorrowful look on her face. “I just wish that he talked to me before, about how he was feeling. Maybe things would have turned out differently.”   
MymbleMama wrapped Mumble in a hug, rubbing her back soothingly as she rocked in the chair. Mumble rested her head on her mother’s chest and let her eyes droop close, the multitude of thoughts swarming in her mind now beginning to seem clearer.

 

Inside a busy inn, many different creatures gathered for a meal and a pint, chattering animatedly amongst themselves while the cooks worked furiously in the back, occasional clashes and bangs being heard from the dining area. Amongst all this, Joxter was sat with his son, cutting up a plate of warm potatoes and veggies and meat into smaller pieces.  
“When will we see Mama again?” Snufkin looked up at his father with curious eyes, happily accepting the spoonful of food Joxter held up for him.   
“Moominvalley is roughly a week’s journey from here,” He replied, taking a bite of his own food.   
“You miss your Mama, huh?” Snufkin nodded and took the fork out of Joxter’s paw, who smiled somewhat sadly. “Me too.” He watched as Snufkin stabbed at his meal himself, occasionally reaching over with a napkin to wipe his mouth. His heart swelled at how independent his boy seemed already; when he was a bit older, he could teach him to fish and hunt!

Once Snufkin was full Joxter payed for the meal and hoisted him onto his shoulders, pointing out various birds and edible berries as they continued their journey.   
“Why did you go, Papa?” The child asked when they stopped under a tree for a rest. Joxter looked up from polishing his harmonica, hesitant to speak. He had expected the boy would ask eventually, but still felt shame in the pit of his stomach.   
“I…” He paused for a minute, thinking of how to word it. “I got scared. Of having a family.” He smiled tightly at Snufkin and ruffled his hair. “You’re a bit too young to understand, but I will tell you this; don’t run away from your problems. Sometimes things seem really scary but running away makes it worse.” His eyes soften. “It’s okay to lean on others sometimes.”   
Snufkin just stares at him. “Okay.”  
Joxter barks out a laugh and kisses his forehead, continuing cleaning his harmonica, watching amused as Snufkin peered curiously at it.   
“What’s dat?”   
“A harmonica.”  
“H-Har-moni-ca.”   
“That’s it,” He smiles as the boy crawls onto his lap, holding the mouth organ in his paws, tail swishing curiously. “I can show you how to play it if you want.” The sweet music of the harmonic drifted gently throughout the forest, the branches of the trees gently swaying to the tune. Joxter’s heart felt warm as his son leaned into him, purring lightly as he listened to the harmonica’s sound. The warmth spread throughout his entire chest, making his eyes gleam, his music pick up. It wasn’t far now.

They’d be home soon.


	12. Back To MoominHouse

The earth smelt rather sweet as Joxter padded through the thick forest, his feet leaving tracks in the mud; Droplets of water fell gently, nudging the leaves of shrubs and trees, the melody of the rain soothing to his ears. While many of the critters of the forest scrambled to the trees for shelter, Snufkin peeked his head out of the basket Joxter had put him back in, sticking his tongue out to catch the drops of translucent silver. Joxter chuckled lightly at this, petting his hair.  
“You good down there? Are you dry enough?” The little boy nodded, pulling the blanket around him closer.  
“We’re not far now,” Joxter smiled, breathing in the earthly scents as his gaze wandered. There were many ways to get to MoominValley, but he found this one the most picturesque; tall stalks with thick luscious leaves framed the path, a few mushrooms scattered here and there. As the trail went on, they got taller and taller, rising well above Joxter’s head and blocking out the sky. Snufkin wriggled out of the basket and ran ahead of his father – his adventurous spirit had only grown larger and he delighted in seeing how fast his legs could go. He grabbed the stem of a plant nearly the same size as him and yanked on it, putting his little feet firmly on the ground so the whole thing came out. Giggling, he raised it over his head like an umbrella, running up and showing his father. Joxter laughed and crouched down his height, plucking a snail off the leaf.  
“Look, you’ve got a little friend here.” Snufkin looked at it with wide eyes.  
“It’s got sticks for eyes!”  
“Those aren’t eyes, they’re antenna. They use them to feel around.” Joxter smiled as Snufkin held the thing in his paw, holding it up to his face.  
“Did y’know, no two snails have the same shell?”  
“Really?”  
“Really. They’re all very unique.” Snufkin stared at it with wonder, placing it back onto the leaf and putting it gently on the ground, only to cry out in surprise.  
“Papa look!”  
Joxter rushed over, lying down and looking where Snufkin was; tiny mushrooms appeared to be bobbing along by themselves, but upon closer inspection, one could see little legs from underneath them!  
“Fairies!” Joxter breathed. One of the fairies peeked out from under her mushroom then, waving at an awe struck Snufkin who grinned widely in return.  
“Why do they have those mushrooms?”  
“To keep them dry, of course. They can’t fly in the rain.”  
“They’re very pretty,” said Snufkin, being ushered back to his feet by his dad. “I like them.”  
“I like them too,” Joxter smiled warmly at him, inspecting the mud Snufkin got on his dress and making a mental note to wash them in a river later. “The forest has many lovely creatures in it.” He put Snufkin back in the basket and continued down the trail, the towering plants becoming smaller and less dense as he went on. 

 

“You have to be patient, Snufkin.” Joxter watched as his son peered over the ledge of the river, trying to spot any movement. “Some days you’ll catch lots of fish, some days you won’t catch any-”  
At that moment Snufkin dunked his head in the water, quickly resurfacing with a small trout in his mouth. Joxter stared at him before barking out a laugh. “Ain’t that just the way. I suppose that’s the mumrik in you.” After a little waiting, Joxter’s line caught a fish too, and he went through the process of gutting it correctly, chuckling as Snufkin grimaced. After eating they set off again, Snufkin on Joxter’s shoulders, saying hello brightly to every bird he saw.  
“How far, Papa?”  
“Not much longer, son. A day or two, tops.”  
The boy nuzzled his chin on top of his father’s head, falling silent for a while when something caught his eye in the distance. “Moomee?”  
Joxter’s breathed hitched as he stared, tail flicking agitatedly. “I don’t think so.”  
The white figure was walking towards them now, and upon further inspection Joxter could make out the shape of a hemulen, not a moomin, and a uniformed hemulen at that.  
“Well, shi-”  
“You there, sir!” The Inspector cried, glancing at Snufkin then glaring at Joxter suspiciously. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to take you in to the station for kidnapping this child!”  
“Kidnapping? Now hang on a second-”  
“Please do not resist arrest sir-”  
“I’m his father you nitwit-”  
“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to- Hey! Come back here!”  
Joxter ducked away from the Inspector (Making a rather rude gesture at him) and bolted into the foliage, carrying Snufkin in his arms. He could hear the Inspector chasing after him and was already starting to formulate an escape plan when he barreled straight into something familiarly soft with a loud ‘oof’.  
“Joxter?”  
The mumriks eyes widened in surprise as his heart caught in his throat. “Moomin!”  
“It’s MoominPapa now,” The troll fixed his top hat and dusted himself off, staring at Joxter as if he’d grown a second head, who did same. They were snapped out their trance by the Inspector stumbling out of the bushes, catching his breath.  
“MoominPapa- This man- oh goodness-”  
“It’s alright, Inpector, he’s the boy’s father.”  
“Oh,” The Inspector adjusted his helmet, looking rather embarrassed as he looked back at Joxter. “I’m awfully sorry.”  
“’s fine.”  
MoominPapa patted the Inspector on the back heartily. “Thank you so much for your help, Inspector. If you could gather the others back home and tell them what happened that’d be excellent.”  
The Inspector nodded and bid them a good day, leaving the fathers in staring at their feet, unsure of what to say. The silence was broken by Snufkin giggling and reaching out to MoominPapa.  
“Well, this certainly isn’t how I imagined us meeting again.” The troll took the boy in his arms, causing Snufkin’s tail to wag happily. Joxer smiled tightly, walking down the winding forest path with his old friend. He licked his lips nervously, eyes flicking about.  
“Er, how’s Mymble? And the kids?”  
MoominPapa furrowed his brows. “They’re trying to stay optimistic, but they’re lost.” He looked back at Joxter. “You have some explaining to do.”  
“I know,” Joxter sighed and took Snufkin back into his arms, petting his hair absentmindedly. “I really hope they take me back, but if they don’t, I’d understand.”  
MoominPapa shook his head. “Joxter, you definitely are the stupidest person I’ve ever met.”  
 He held his paw up before Joxter could say anything. “Let me finish. If there’s anything that I’ve learned about you since we met it’s that you make rash decisions, and you don’t talk to people. There’s one night I’ll always remember, when you stayed in my room for the night on the Oshun Oxtra; before we fell asleep, I told you I loved you.” He looked pointedly at Joxter, who looked at the ground. “I’ve never seen someone look so scared at those words before.” MoominPapa’s voice was a little over a whisper now, as if he thought the mumrik would run away again if he was too loud. “I never understood it for years, but I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently, and…I think you were always scared of that sort of affection, weren’t you?”  
Joxter gulped, rocking a now sleeping Snufkin as he listened to the crunch of leaves and twigs beneath his feet, as he felt the concerned gaze of his friend on him.  
“I’d never had people like you in my life before,” He finally said, staring straight on. “Or Muddler, or Hodgekins. Being a traveler, I’d meet so many different people, and often they’d try and fix me in some way.” He wrinkled his nose.  
“But you never did. I didn’t think I could have a family, but I had one, on the Oxtra, then when I met Mymble I was introduced to another kind of love all together; and it was so _good_ Moomin, I wanted to stay in it forever. And that scared me. Old habits die hard, I guess.” He smiled tightly at MoominPapa before continuing. “But I know now that if you want certain things, you gotta change yourself first. What I did to Mymble and the kids wasn’t fair, they don’t deserve any of the hurt I’ve caused them, and I wanna change for the better, I wanna face things head on instead of running away, I-I wanna love them, if they’ll let me.”  
MoominPapa stared at him, mouth agape, for once at a loss for words. Joxter grinned at him and playfully nudged at him with his elbow.  
“And, just so you know, I love you too, my Moomin friend.”  
The troll laughed lightly and squeezed Joxter’s shoulders in a half-hug, so not to squish the sleeping child in his arms and led his friend down the winding trail to the valley, the approaching dawn painting everything in a soft pink light, causing Moominhouse to glow.  
MoominPapa looked at him reassuringly before he opened the door to his home, announcing their presence. Joxter’s heart beat furiously in his chest.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, finally finished this chapter. Sorry it took so long I kept rewriting parts.


	13. Apologies

For a few agonising seconds Joxter forgot how to breathe, feeling everyone's gaze on him. MymbleMama sat in one of the plush chairs, somehow looking at him and through him at the same time. He wanted nothing more than to run and hug her tightly, apologising until there was no air left in his lungs. Instead he just stood there, looking at his battered shoes. The children's gazes flickered from Joxter, then to their mother, then all over the room, unsure of where to look or what to do, while MoominMama and MoominPapa looked on nervously. For a while, nobody said anything, the room filled with the particular silence of people who had full scripts of what they intended to say that had disappeared upon the occasion. Then Snufkin, who was stirring awake in his father's arms, cried out with a loud "Mama!" And tumbled his way over to her. MymbleMama wept as she hugged him close, kissing his face over and over, laughing as the other mymble children scrambled to get in the embrace. Little Snufkin was pulled this way and that into the relieved arms of his family, but found that he didn't mind the attention this time as he had missed them dearly too. Joxter watched on anxiously, his heart tensing when a few young mymble children waddled over to him, hugging his leg and looking at him with round eyes that said 'I missed you'. He petted their heads then looked up, scanning the room until his eyes locked with another familiar pair. Mumble looked right at him, hurt in her teal eyes but also something else that Joxter couldn't quite place.A million different words bubbled up in his throat and died on his tongue; how he wished he could turn back the clocks.  
"Mama, I'm hungry." Little Snufkin's voice snapped him back to reality. MymbleMama laughed at this and kissed his cheek.  
"Of course you are, love. Here, let me find something for you.."  
"Oh, allow me." Said MoominMama, placing an encouraging hand on Mymble's shoulder. "Snufkin, why don't you go upstairs? I'm sure Moomin would love to see you. And why don't the rest of you help me in the kitchen?" At the sound of Moomin's name, Snufkin perked up and rushed towards the staircase, while MoominPapa ushered the children out of the room, sparing a quick smile for his friend before leaving the two estranged lovers alone.

Neither of the two spoke for a minute, eyes darting everywhere except to each other. Joxter exhaled slowly, taking his hat off and running his paw through his dark tangled hair.  
"Mymble, I- I, er..I'm..Look, I-..."  
"Just...Use your words, Joxter." The pair locked eyes for a second, ineffable amounts of hurt, guilt and regret, anger and sorrow between them. But love, too. Love. Joxter took a deep breath, his words coming out slowly.. "Mymble, I am so sorry. I'm sorry I left, sorry I didn't say anything, I-..." He licked his lips nervously. "I was happy, livin' with you, I really was. I missed you, and the kids. I thought of you everyday…"  
He trailed off again, tugging at his collar, glancing back at Mymble. She remained sitting very still in the plush chair, arms crossed, looking straight at Joxter. She didn't say anything. He collected his thoughts again and continued.  
"I've been used to a certain way of livin' for a very long time. I'm still not completely used to having people that care about me, and that I care about, around for so long...I was just starting to get comfortable with having friends when I met you, and then everything changed. I fell utterly and completely in love." He looked back at her then, finally keeping eye contact.  
"I love you, Mymble. And I love the kids so much too. It just…it was such a drastic change, it felt amazing but also terrifying and strange, and I kept tryin' to ignore those thoughts but...it got too much, I- I didn't know what to do." He sighed and looked away, fiddling absent-mindedly with his hat. "Now, I know that none of that is a worthy explanation for leaving, and I-I've hurt you.. But I'm here, and I wanna fix things, if I can. I'm still..scared, I suppose, of love, this commitment, but I want it, and I'm tired of runnin' away. I wanna make things better, if you'll have me again."  
Mymble remained silent, brows furrowed slightly. (She'd always get a particular dip between her brows when she frowned, and Joxter wished he could tickle her neck like he always did to make her laugh, so he could kiss that space between her brows, then kiss her whole face, from the mole by her ear to the dimples in her cheeks)  
Finally she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.  
"I just wish you had talked to me before. Everyone needs space, I wouldn't mind you leaving for a bit...you should've just told me how you were feeling." Joxter swallowed. "I know.. I'm sorry." Mymble looked at him with eyes clouded with thought, nodding sadly. She stood up then paused, swaying, teetering off the edge slightly. "I need time to think," She said quietly, making her way over to the door, paw ghosting over the frame.  
"I'm glad you're safe, Joxter."  
She left, and Joxter stared at the walls of moominhouse, feeling that if he stayed still long enough he would dissolve and become part of the furniture.

For the rest of the day, Joxter found and talked with each of the mymble children, trying his best to articulate himself to the confused little mymbles. He had varying reactions, some a bit reluctant to trust him again completely, some hugging him quite tightly, as if he'd disappear again if they let go. Little My looked like she wanted to take a bite out of him but he didn't really blame her, and thanked her for listening. He found Mumble when the sun was just starting to set, sitting on top of a hill, absent-mindedly picking at the yellowing grass beneath her. The weather was getting colder and she had a soft blue blanket wrapped around her shoulders that he recognised as her own from home.  
"May I sit here?" She glanced at him then nodded, staring at the sky as he settled down next to her. His mouth felt dry as he struggled to find words again when she suddenly spoke first.  
"I heard what you said. To Mama."  
He blinked. "You were listening?"  
She looked slightly sheepish then. "Yeah...I've been thinking a lot, since you left. I thought 'I don't want to see him again for as long as I live.'"  
His breath hitched at that and he began to stammer out an apology when she raised her paw to stop him. "But then you were gone for _so_ long, and we lost Snufs and I felt _so_ sad and I just wanted you to come back." She sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her paw. Joxter's chest ached. "I never had a papa before," She whispered. "Not until you came around. And then you hurt me, really, really badly." Hesitantly, he reached out and put his paw on her back, and, when she didn't shrug it off, rubbed soothingly.  
"I know," he said under his breath. "I know. And I'm so sorry. And I know no amount of sorrys will make it better, but I am. I'm sorry."  
He sighed and watched the pink and purple clouds drift across the pale orange sky. Mumble liked sunsets, he remembered, because she thought the colours were pretty like an oil painting. When he asked her if she liked sunrises too, she said that they were probably nice but she always woke up too late to see one.  
"I never had a daughter before," he murmured. " Then I got you. And many other daughters and sons too." He laughed dryly. "I wish I handled things differently. But I also hope that I can do things differently _now_ , finally learn how to be apart of a family." Mumble considered this for a moment before ducking under his arm, burying herself in his chest.  
"We can help you," she said, wrapping her arms tighter around him, nuzzling into the familiar warmth. "I missed you."  
Joxter kissed the top of her head, hugging her closer, as if trying to tell her that he wasn't going away this time, that he'd be a better dad, that he was sorry, that he loved her. "I missed you too," Is all that came out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I am so so sorry that this chapter is so late. I've been very busy over the past month and didn't have a lot of time, then I also have summer work for a college I don't even go to yet afsgvd.  
> Anyways, I just want to say that I'm not abandoning this story, and I definitely will finish it. Thank you all xx


	14. Sunrises

Joxter was puffing lazily on his pipe, leaning against the porch balcony of Moominhouse when Mymble found him. Silently she gestured with her paw for the pipe and closed her eyes, gently blowing the smoke from her parted lips. Joxter watched entranced, then quickly looked away when she caught him staring, covering his eyes with his hat. She exhaled a sharp laugh and handed the pipe back, looking right into his eyes.  
"I want you to come home with us."  
Joxter looked incredulous. "You do?"  
Mymble smiled, tired and amused. "I do. It'll be..different of course, at first. We can't just go back to how things were, pretending nothing ever happened."  
She paused for a moment, then reached slowly for his paw and held it in her own. "The children missed you, terribly. And so did I. I spent many sleepless nights worrying about you." She shushed him before he could begin to apologise, squeezing his paw gently. "Come home, Joxter."  
The mumrik stared at her dewy eyed, pupils round, a soft smile lingering on his face. He brought her paw to his face and kissed it, watching her teal eyes twinkle in the sun.  
Words popped into his mind then, words that used to startle him dreadfully, but now were quite comforting to recognize as they played over and over.  
  
_'I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you'_

With everything settled, it was time for the mymble family to make their journey back home. They said their goodbyes to the Moomins, little Moomintroll hugging Snufkin quite tightly and Snufkin, surprisingly, letting him.  
"Make sure you come visit us again," Said MoominMama, who insisted on preparing various jams and treats for the journey and packed their baskets full. "I'm sure Moomin would like that. Wouldn't you, dear?"  
The young troll nodded eagerly.  
"That goes for you too, old cat." MoominPapa pulled Joxter in for a hug and patted him heartily on the back. "Don't be a stranger, alright?" He whispered softly.  
Joxter smiled and playfully pulled his friend's hat down. "I won't," He said sincerely, eyes warm. "I mean it."  
And so they set off from Moominvalley, travelling all the way back to that familiar clearing in the woods that awaited their return. The children threw their things inside and ran about excitedly, rediscovering the old nooks and crannies of the attic, stomping on the floorboards they knew were creaky, sliding down the stair rail and so on. Joxter watched them with a smile on his face, chasing them about and tickling them and letting them climb all over him and laughing very heartily indeed. Oh, how he'd missed this!

Once tea had been served and everyone had tired themselves out, they made their way to bed(and Joxter, to the couch). He stretched and curled up amongst the soft cushions, breathing in the familiar smells, and listening to the familiar creeks of the house as he drifted off. He was awoken however, a mere three hours later by a paw shaking his shoulder, and was greeted with the sight of a sniffling Mumble. "Oh, poppet!" He exclaimed softly, and took her into his arms.  
"Come now, why are you crying?"  
She wiped her nose on the sleeve of her nightdress and tucked her head under his chin. "I just wanted to make sure you were here..that's all..."  
Joxter's heart clenched, filled with guilt and sorrow as he cradled her. "Shh, it's okay, love, it's okay," He kissed the top of her head, wiping her face when she looked back at him.  
"Can I stay here? Please?"  
"Of course." Joxter fluffed the cushions up and lay the blanket over them, absentmindedly stroking her head to relax her. She slept soundly for the rest of the night, latched firmly around his middle; He pressed a soft kiss on her forehead, and promised to himself that he'd never again be the reason she wept.

Mumble awoke to her shoulder being shaken; she grumbled and tried to pull the blanket over her head, hissing with annoyance when it was lifted off of her. A familiar laugh made her open her eyes then.  
"G'morning , little Mumble."  
She yawned and stretched her arms above her head. "Papa, what time is it?"  
"Hm, around five-ish." At her scowling at him, he added: "I have something to show you, but we're gonna need breakfast first."  
Joxter scooped her up and carried her to the kitchen, plopping her in a chair before rummaging about the cupboards.  
"There are peaches in the bowl over there we can have." Mumble yawned.  
"Alrighty. How'd ya want your eggs?"  
"Boiled, please."  
Joxter put the hob on and got the water boiling, letting the eggs cook as the bread toasted, while Mumble got their favourite cups and made tea. Once their small breakfast was finished cooking, they sat outside on the porch; on the small table they had plates of warm buttered toast and marmalade, a few boiled eggs with varying softness, and fresh peaches cut into slices. Mumble bit into some toast, relishing it until a thought came into her mind.  
"Wait, what are we doing out here?" She asked with her mouth full.  
Joxter smiled and nodded towards the sky. Mumble watched in awe as the horizon slowly brightened, yellows and pale blues spreading the hope of the new day.  
"It's beautiful," She whispered, smiling as the birds awoke and began to sing.  
"A sunrise is one of the many beauties life offers us," Joxter mused. "Don't let your tea get cold, now." Mumble drank her tea and fell quiet; She watched Joxter light his pipe and take a drag with his eyes closed, looking very peaceful as the smoke fell from his mouth. She listened closely to the stillness of the morning, seemingly empty but full of promises, she watched the sun creep up the sky, slowly warming her from her toes to her ears.

She felt warmer still when she went and gave her dad a hug; he smelt musky, of flowers, of the herb he smoked, of dirt. And she felt her heart filling up with something.  
Something that said; everything is going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw man we're nearly at the end lads

**Author's Note:**

> I've been thinking about this a lot and thought it was cute, so here we are. If there are any spelling mistakes or grammitical errors, let me know!


End file.
